Even after passing the lake, Alicia, who had been unable to take her eyes off the scenery outside the window for a long time, took advantage of the moment when the carriage stopped to slip out and stretch widely.

Sightseeing the unfamiliar scenery outside the window was a very enjoyable thing, but sitting inside the carriage all day was quite tiring.

After smoothing out her crumpled trouser hem and securely fastening her loosely tied cloak, Alicia decided to enjoy a short walk to a safe place within sight of her companions.

No one stopped her from doing so, as Marisa and Casa followed behind her.

“Will we be camping tonight?”

“Yes, that’s what we’ll do.”

“It’s my first time spending the night outside.”

“It will be more uncomfortable than you think.”

It was then that Alicia, who turned her head and smiled gently at Casa’s worried voice, discovered a small cluster of flowers blooming near the stream.

The wildflowers, with five small white petals gathered together blooming towards the sky, resembled the stars in the night sky.

“What’s the name of this flower?”

Although roses were her favorite, Alicia loved all flowers.

Was it because she was excited to discover a flower she had never seen in the Imperial City? Alicia asked Casa and Marisa standing behind her in a slightly raised voice.

“It’s Star Cluster.”

The answer came from Marisa.

“Star Cluster?”

“Yes, it’s said to have gotten that name because it resembles a cluster of stars. It’s a common wildflower that blooms from spring to summer.”

Why isn’t such a common flower inside the Imperial City?

Was it too common to be allowed inside the Imperial City?

Thinking that she might never have seen this flower until her death if she hadn’t headed to the Tower of Sages, it somehow touched her heart more.

“Would it be difficult for it to take root inside the Imperial City?”

“If Your Highness wishes, it would be possible anytime… but the gardener wouldn’t welcome it.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s a common wildflower.”

Everything that enters the Imperial City must be special.

No one taught it that way, but everyone thought so.

Even Alicia, who lived inside the Imperial City, knew that everything inside the Imperial City was special.

Because it’s a common wildflower, it can’t take root inside the Imperial City.

It was the moment when Alicia, who understood Marisa’s words, reached out her hand towards the flower with a gloomy face.

“There are thorns.”

Killian, who had approached without notice, grabbed Alicia’s hand.

Only after hearing his words did Alicia notice the small thorns and blushed.

She was embarrassed to be caught moving carelessly.

‘Killian will let me know if he’s nearby.’

Alicia, who had unnecessarily blamed Marisa and Casa standing behind her, withdrew her hand.

More precisely, she tried to withdraw her hand.

However, it was impossible to pull out her hand at will from Killian’s grip that wouldn’t let go.

Even though he wasn’t holding it tightly, strangely her hand wouldn’t move.

“Even small thorns can harbor poison in the world outside the Imperial City.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to apologize to me. Just think of it as loyal advice concerned for Your Highness’s safety.”

He’s not making scary eyes like usual, nor is he smiling as if wearing a mask.

Killian’s words, uttered calmly with an expressionless face, tickled her heart.

“I’ll be careful.”

“Yes.”

But… why isn’t he letting go of my hand?

Killian was strange.

The sight of Killian silently staring at Alicia’s white hand, small enough to be fully enveloped by one of his hands, was unfamiliar.

He wasn’t comparing hand sizes or checking if a thorn had pricked her hand.

Killian, who was quietly looking down at Alicia’s small hand lost in thought, seemed to have no intention of letting go of her hand.

“Duke…”

“…”

“Please let go of my hand now…”

“It’s small.”

“Pardon?”

“Your hand is very small.”

Wouldn’t everything be small compared to your hand?

Alicia, who almost retorted without realizing it, bit her lip and turned away from his face.

The heat she had just managed to cool down seemed to rise again in her face.

“To think it was this small…”

“Duke Diaz? What are you saying?”

“Come to think of it, you don’t call my name anymore, do you?”

Ignoring Alicia’s question, Killian raised his head.

As a result, Alicia, who came to face his deep green eyes directly, started blinking rapidly and searching for a way to escape.

“It seems you used to call my name constantly before.”

However, there was no way to escape.

Her hand was held by Killian, and it was extremely difficult for Alicia to look away from those beautiful and persistent deep green eyes.

Unable to escape, Alicia lowered her head and answered in a small voice while looking at Killian’s large hand holding hers.

“Calling your name… I’m sorry.”

“I didn’t mean to hear an apology. I’m curious.”

“We’re not close… so I can’t carelessly call the Duke’s name.”

“Not close?”

Killian’s hand holding Alicia’s tightened.

As a result, Alicia, who unknowingly let out a small groan, raised her head, and Killian, with a startled face, let go of her hand and stepped back one step to create distance.

‘…Why, why is he acting like that?’

It was Alicia who was surprised by this sight.

It was already surprising that he had grabbed her hand first, but Killian stepping back startled by that small sound…

“Duke Diaz?”

The Killian that Alicia knew would never look at her with such eyes.

It was the moment Alicia, who had confirmed the fear reflected in Killian’s eyes, was about to approach him.

Killian turned his body and quickly distanced himself from Alicia.

“Why on earth?”

Alicia, who remained in that spot unable to follow Killian, traced his retreating figure with her eyes, harboring an unsolvable question.

A little while later, the sun set and the moon rose.

The group, who decided to camp a little distance away from where Alicia had identified the Star Cluster flowers, quickly began preparing dinner.

At first, Alicia also wanted to help with dinner preparations.

However, due to Marisa’s restraint that it would take longer if she stepped in, she had no choice but to stay inside the carriage.

Alicia was looking up at the night sky outside the window while listening to the voices of people coming from outside.

Perhaps because there were no lit places around?

The stars in the night sky, which appeared particularly clear, were densely embroidering the black sky.

‘So it’s called Star Cluster because it resembles that.’

Alicia, recalling the white and small wildflowers that kept flickering before her eyes, leaned against the backrest of the carriage and looked down at her white hand.

A hand much smaller than Killian’s.

What on earth was Killian thinking when he saw this?

Moreover, what was that fear that had formed in his eyes then?

Unanswerable questions kept arising.

“My head hurts.”

It’s only been a day.

She had boasted loudly in front of Adrian that since she was moving with others, she would get along well without much conflict or discomfort with Killian, but it was far from the truth.

“Your Highness, I’ve brought your meal.”

Alicia, who hurriedly straightened her posture at the sound from outside the door, unlocked the door.

She had followed Casa’s advice to always close the windows and lock the door when inside the carriage, as they didn’t know what might happen.

Hearing the sound of the lock being undone, Marisa opened the door and brought in a wooden tray with quite appetizing stew and a few soft pieces of bread.

“The drinking water is being cooled after boiling, so I’ll bring it in a little while.”

“Thank you, Marisa, you should go out and eat too.”

“I’ll wait until you finish eating.”

“Then I’ll be too uncomfortable to eat. I’ll put the dishes outside when I’m done, so go quickly.”

“…Then please just put them down on the carriage floor when you’re done. It’s dangerous to open the door while you’re alone.”

“Okay, I will.”

Alicia, smiling and nodding at Marisa’s nagging to make sure to lock the door after she left, pushed her out of the carriage.

Only after confirming the sound of the inner lock being engaged did Marisa’s footsteps fade away, and Alicia let out a laugh.

Alicia, who had pushed aside the meal for a moment, turned her gaze to the window.

Is it really okay like this?

The strong premonition that her relationship with Killian would change somewhat during this journey seemed to squeeze her heart.

Whether that direction would be good or bad for her, she couldn’t know right away, but…

“It’s natural for me to waver because I’m foolish. But Killian… why has he changed?”

It took quite a long time to admit that Killian wasn’t strange, but had changed.

It shouldn’t be difficult to distinguish between something being strange, which is momentary, and something having changed, which has continuity, but Alicia had constantly doubted whether she might have seen wrong or judged incorrectly, just in case.

That doubt ended today.

One fear she read in Killian’s eyes brought about that end.

Now, what she’s curious about is why Killian has changed.

Killian being kind to her.

Him continuously showing such aspects that could never have been seen in the past.

‘If Killian has changed… could our relationship change too?’

The emotion she had firmly declared impossible raises its head again.

Even while being certain that her foolish, pathetic, and stupid choice would bring about another misfortune, this lingering emotion kept raising its head only to be painfully trampled over and over again.

“Really… how incompetent.”

Alicia, who sighed, pulled the meal she had pushed away in front of her.

She wasn’t hungry, but she had to show that she was eating at least a little so that others wouldn’t worry.

She picks up the spoon and pushes the lukewarm stew into her mouth.

‘It doesn’t taste bad.’

Thinking that, Alicia turned her gaze to the window and froze with her eyes wide open.

In the black darkness, unusually bright ‘human’ eyes were stuck to the carriage window, staring at Alicia’s figure.